Understanding Special Education Services

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ADHD, Special Education Resources and Advocacy

It can be quite difficult to understand how the special education system works in your province, how it compares to others, and specifically how this system impacts your child’s ability to access services. Please access these documents below to assist you with this process. To-date much of our advocacy work and experience with teaching parents how to advocate for their child in school systems has been done in Ontario. However, the same principals of advocacy apply in all provinces and territories and we speak with parents across Canada on how to apply these concepts to their special education systems.

Documents

ADHD and Special Education across Canada, “2010 Provincial Report Card: ADHD in the School System”

In 2010 CADDAC published a report on how students with ADHD were recognized as having learning needs in Canada. The main goal of this exercise was to ascertain whether or not students with ADHD have equitable access to educational accommodations, across all of Canada, as do other students with impairments such as learning disabilities. This report outlines how these systems impact students with ADHD and grades them. READ MORE

School Observation List

This list has been developed to assist those observing a child with ADHD in the classroom and school setting to ask the right questions and document detailed information READ MORE

The Ontario Identification Process

In Ontario a process of identifying students allows the child to receive the appropriate educational accommodations and/or modifications. This document explains the steps to the School Identification, Placement, Review Committee, (IPRC) process. READ MORE

Ontario Memorandum on Recognizing Students with ADHD

On December 19th of 2011 the Ontario Ministry of Education released a memorandum to Directors of Education entitled Categories of Exceptionality clarifying that students with ADHD and no other diagnosis have a right to be identified as exceptional students if they present with learning needs. READ MORE

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Also known as Special Education Plan (SEP), Individualized Program Plan (IPP), Student Support Plan SSP, Individual Support Services Plan (ISSP) depending on the province or territory

Accommodations and modifications listed in the IEP are legal rights of the child. The IEP must consider recommendations made by the committee who identifies the child.

The IEP is a flexible, working document, which should be adjusted and improved with each reporting period. READ MORE and SAMPLE IEP(4)

How to be an Effective Advocate for Your Child

The role of an advocate may be vital at some point in our life to obtain and maintain the necessary changes and opportunities for our children and ourselves. By definition, advocacy involves speaking on behalf of a person(s) or yourself to ensure that their rights and needs are recognized. READ MORE

What ADHD Students Wish Their Teachers Knew

Although each child should be treated as an individual with their own strengths, challenges and needs, here is a list of the most commonly experienced issues for students with ADHD. READ MORE

Things that Parents of ADHD Children Wished Every Teacher Knew

Teachers play a vital role in the way that children feel about themselves. When a child has a teacher who understands ADHD, he/she has the potential of having a wonderful school experience where he/she can grow, learn and feel proud and successful. READ MORE